Boys Over Flowers
by Mandarins
Summary: [Private School AU] "You should watch your back, you don't belong here." Sasuke uttered before leaving, the three others following behind him. Having none of these private school rules, Sakura decides to go against the acclaimed group of prestigious, popular guys. However, sparks begin to fly and she slowly tears down the walls they built-up all these years.
1. Chapter 1

Because I am a masochist when it comes to stories!

SO the laptop that held the last chapter of _Keep Your Friends Close_ basically crashed and i lost everything. everythhhing like my plot and everything. So rewriting that will probably happen never LOL ugh it just sucks.

**Disclaimer:** Do not own Naruto,

Enjoy this Boy over Flowers Naruto Remake, just because I can. Buuuuut. I will be changing some things! So just remember that when I do some weird stuff xD

* * *

**Sakura POV**

Playing with the stray pink locks that fell out of the bun, I jolted in surprise as my father burst through the door.

"Sakura love, I see you're not busy right now. Mind delivering this while I watch over the shop?" He twiddled the newly finished dry cleaning in front of me, a bright smile adorning his face. "The clothing goes to a Mr. Suigetsu Hozuki. There are special orders for it to be delivered personally to him at the Konoha private school."

With a scoff, I grabbed the article of clothing and muttered a 'Fine, I got it.' Grabbing my delivery bike from outside, I could only sigh at thought of stepping foot at that school. The very thought of the school made my blood boil, causing me bike angrily faster. A school made for the rich and prestigious, the rest were left to crumble aside at the laughable excuse of public schools, ie. my education right now. It's the middle of Tuesday and there aren't any classes to go to.

Deciding to show myself some dignity, upon entering the school I parked my bike and readied through the entrance doors with my head held high. Seeing a group of girls who obviously went to this school, I asked them, "Would you happen to know where Hozuki Suigetsu would be right now?"

"Red card boy. He does not belong here." Attitude dripped from her words, uttered from presumably their leader of the pack, "And you certainly do not belong here either." Snapping her fingers, the two others, blonde and brunette, kept behind their red-headed leader.

_Gee thanks, that helps a lot._ I thought to myself and only sighed again. My first attempt proved futile, and only built more hatred for this wretched school.

"He's going to jump!"

"Blasphemy! He should not jump, he is not worthy of being cleaned from the sidewalk!" More rude utterings came from a crowd rushing up the stairs.

"I thought Suigetsu was more of a man than to resort to this." Someone offhandedly commented while running up the stairs.

Upon hearing the familiar name, I followed the crowd. If the gossipy mutterings were true, I could only mentally prepare myself for what I was about to see. The crowd began to slow and eventually come to a stop, approaching the final stairwell that lead to the roof where he apparently is going to jump.

The scene soon escalated as the crowd began to chant, "Jump!" in a barbaric, wrathful mantra. Unable to believe the situation, I pushed between the people, hoping to reach the Suigetsu before he made a rash decision.

A man no older than I stood at the ledge, bleeding from a cut on his forehead, upon sight I acted. "Hozuki Suigetsu!" I yelled in a more soothing voice, earning his attention against the clashing irate crowd.

"What could you possibly want?" He asked in reply.

"I was originally meant to deliver some of your dry cleaning."

"I guess you'll have to bill it to my family since I am about to kill myself."

"About that," I tried to muster a sheepish smile to diffuse my awkwardness, "Why exactly are you jumping?"

"The glorious F4 decided to grace me with red card." He let a sardonic smile spread across his face.

"W-What does a red card do? And who are the F4?" I asked confused.

"They are a group that can make everybody hate you."

"Just because everybody hates you does not mean you should resort to—"

He interrupted, "What would you know? You don't even go here."

"But I know that life—"

"Enough with prolonging the inevitable," He gave a small smile and waved his fingers. This was his way of ending it all.

With a rush of adrenaline, I hurried over and grabbed his arms. Leaving the dry cleaning forgotten on the floor, I hoisted him up to everyone's disappointment. Making sure he was safely laid against the ledge, I let out a howl of curses that would make even the drunkest of sailors cringe.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" Whipping out my phone, I called the emergency ambulance. "You're supposed to be the school for everyone to look up to. I guess you really are heartless beasts."

\- xXx -

**Narrator POV**

"What the hell is this?" Fugaku Uchiha watched the news from his office in anguish. The Konoha High School name was being driven through the dirt. Mikoto bit her lip while Itachi remained impassive, looking out the window. Sasuke sighed from his place slouching at a chair.

_The once-called prestigious private school, Konoha High, is now the scene of horrendous murder and bullying. The most privileged rich son, Uchiha Sasuke, gave what is called a 'Red Card' to one student Hozuki Suigetsu. _

Fugaku flashed a glare towards his youngest son, obviously unhappy at his son's involvement in the matter.

_The supposed red card influences the majority of the students to bully the student wielding one. Suigetsu was issued a red card for only three days, the reasoning being unknown. However, those three days were enough to have the student resort to suicide. It is confirmed that he is not the only one in possession of a red card. Suigetsu is now in recovering in the nearby hospital. The public is outraged towards the school._

_Let's turn to our reporter out in the public._

"_If this is how the children act, is this how their parents act? And who are their parents again? The parents are our rich CEO's, running the majority of our country. How are we supposed to trust them now, when we cannot even trust them with our children? They are truly nothing but heartless beasts, raging—"_

With a calm press, Fugaku muted the television despite the three others watching. "Do you have any idea how disappointed I am?"

"Why? Because I bullied those who deserved to be bullied?" Sasuke replied.

"No, disappointed that you got caught." Fugaku sighed while Itachi scoffed and walked out the room, obviously angry at how the conversation turned. Mikoto ran after him, wanting to soothe her oldest son.

"How many red cards have you given out?" He asked Sasuke directly.

"At least one a month for the last three years." Sasuke replied nonchalantly.

Fugaku only glared harder, "If so frequent, why did this one happen to be caught by the press? Who gave them all this information?"

"Pink hair," Sasuke muttered. Fugaku only raised his eyebrow. "A girl with pink hair, she saved him. She was able to call the police and get him to safety."

"That does not make any sense. We are the police, how was she able to get away?"

"She called local emergency, the poor people version."

"What's her name?" Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear, a swarm of pink invaded the TV screen, prompting Fugaku to unmute his television.

_I was simply on delivery for my family's business, dry cleaning and all. When I got to the high school I asked around to Suigetsu. It did not take long to find him since everyone was cheering his name and encouraging him to jump. Luckily, I came to his aid and save his—_

"That peasant." Sasuke scoffed.

"Well that simple peasant was capable of raising the public against us. Now we have to diffuse the situation." Fugaku gazed out the window, "The public is questioning the rich who go to Konoha. Simply, we have to put a peasant in Konoha, show them that one can live among us."

"Great, how are you going to choose who?" Sasuke asked.

"It has to be her." Fugaku read her name across the bottom of the screen, "Savior to Konoha: Sakura Haruno."

xXx -

**Sakura POV**

I sat quiet at the steps of Konoha High, sad that my opinion did not matter to my family. The "random" scholarship offered to me by Konoha High for my medical skills was just to hush my power of the public. I knew that. My parents did not. My opinion of rejecting the scholarship was ignored, and here I sat waiting for the first bell. I refused to be in class early.

"Oh the F4! They're gracing the main hall with our presence?" The red-headed girl from my Suigetsu encounter was asking her group of friends.

"Karin, you act like we worship the very land they walk on." The blonde replied.

"Well that is what we do, Ino!" Karin scoffed and flipped her hair to the side.

The crowd began to grow and soon their whoops &amp; cheers began to fill the hall. I tried to keep an impassive composure, yet curious as to who these F4 are all along.

Four guys walked through the aisle of people, myself recognizing them as sons of major companies. Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Neji, and Nara Shikamaru.

The perfect picture of arrogant, rich, and snobbish boys of a private school. I could only sigh and get up to walk away. Upon getting up and readying up the stairs, a force grabbed my arm.

"I would roam these halls carefully if I were you." The piercing voice of Uchiha Sasuke rang, before letting go and walking away.


	2. Chapter 2

Would you believe me when I say that I'm writing this chapter on the iPad? ;-; so Im on an emergency trip to the Philippines. Aaaaaand all of my story outlines are on a computer far away from here.

Lets hope this chapter is the same as the one I wrote at home!

**Note**: I'm following the BoF outline for story plot, but the characters themselves will be in their Naruto personalities mostly! Meaning that Oh Min Ji = Tenten, will be more rambunctious and sporty than the drama. Aaaaand I might actually change with characters do what events

Disclaimer: do not own Naruto characters

* * *

**Sakura POV**

After the little run-in with the acclaimed F4, my morning turned disastrously - however expected for a poor girl amongst the others. Adapting to the isolation, I sat in English listening to the seminar. Without the book, I could only quote it into my notebook.

Said book _plopped _onto my desk, and the surprise on my face reminded unmasked. "Here take mine, I don't pay attention anyway." The girl next to me said as she winked. "My name is TenTen."

"Thanks," I held the book in my hands, "I'm Sakura."

"Of course I know your name! You're what everyone is talking about right now." She smiled.

The statement meant to be humorous, yet did not satisfy the nervousness in my stomach. _What could they possibly be saying?_

* * *

"You must have a deathwish here for messing with the F4." Tenten commented as we walked outside.

"The F4 means nothing to me." I responded, "They are a group of spoiled children who need to be put in their place."

"Such harsh words to the 'Gods of Konoha High,'" Tenten laughed, "We will definitely get along here." She put her arm on my shoulder.

"Is lunch always that expensive here?" I asked my new friend, "Gosh that one meal is worth four deliveries. Not worth." I waved my hand behind me in emphasis.

Tenten laughed at my antics, "You're just so cute." She made a motion in the air that looked like squeezing my cheeks. "Here, I'll buy us some ice cream." Before I could interject about how overpriced it was, she put a hand on my mouth and smiled. "No buts!"

She came back with two cones holding two scoops of chocolate each. "When in doubt, chocolate."

"Thanks, Tenten." I took my in appreciation, "I was kind of wondering, why aren't you like the rest?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, Karin and the few other girls I met so far seem exactly the same. Prissy and mean to anything different." I thought back to my original meeting, delivering to Suigetsu. "And you're this really amazing person. You're don't stereotype me into this poor people group and treat me accordingly."

"Because, unlike the others, I don't judge like how the others do. People should just be considered equal, no matter how different." Tenten explained.

"Have I ever told you that you're amazing?" I asked teasingly.

"Right back at you with those balls of steel." Tenten playfully pushed my shoulder, "Its been a while since someone really got a rise out of the F4."

"I figured you wouldn't mind bothering them?" I asked.

"My parents always taught me to conceal, don't feel. Sure, what they do makes me really angry. But at the same time, if I say something the F4 will make the same happen to me."

I looked down the pathway, "Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear." I commented, noticing the squeals that came with the arriving F4.

We walked off the pathway and out of their way, simply to avoid confrontation with them. The sight of the four immediately ruined the fun atmosphere.

As if to make matters worse, before even reaching halfway through the grass, I heard someone call my name.

I turned and found the Sasuke was demanding my presence. In an angry stride, I kept on walking my way, refusing to bend to his will. Tenten meanwhile stood back, almost afraid of what would happen.

Reaching the other pathway, other students - basically _lackies_ to Sasuke's whim - grabbed my arms and hoisted me to where he was waiting. Struggling against their hold, I could only watch myself nearing the devil.

Upon reaching him, they set me down directly in front of the F4's leader. The crowd gathered more people, TenTen worriedly joining them. I glared at Sasuke directly, before returning my gaze past him. Almost as if I was trying to look right through him.

"Now that's its clear that I always get what I want," Sasuke started talking, "We should have a proper introduction." He frowned at my antics, putting a finger underneath my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"I am the ruler of this land," he continued, "Everyone knows it, including your friend over there who deserted you." I refused to look at Tenten. "You were able to disgrace my family recently. I want you to apologize."

Of course I'd be able to land myself in this situation. Sasuke had the power to single me out amongst a crowd, and embarrass me without hesitation. He was cruel. But doing so also left a weakness for him also. He singled attention also on himself.

Deciding to take advantage of the crowd, I used the remaining remnants of my ice cream to give him new _makeup _to adorn his _pretty little face._

The crowd gasped in surprise and anger, I heard small snickers from not only where TenTen was standing, but from the other F4 members behind Sasuke. "Thats the closest you'll ever get as an apology from me."

Holding my head held high, I stored away with Tenten trailing farther behind.

* * *

I shouldn't have expected anything less as I opened my locker. However, I wouldn't have treated the situation any differently with Sasuke. He deserved to be curved, facing the consequences of his actions.

But for now, it looks like I'm facing my consequences.

Hanging from the inside of my locker, stood a _Red Card._


	3. Chapter 3

Ya'll are going to hate me because there was such a large gap of time I'M SORRY D:

And I am following the Korean version of Boys over Flowers! Buuut I will change things according to the Naruto world. Example, Naruto won't be as apathetic and impassive as Ji Hoo, but still just as caring and compassionate.

Annnd some scenes I will just skip around because I am going purely off of memory of the series. OR I just don't want to write some scenes because asdfghjkl

This will be REALLY ALTTERNATIVE to boys over flowers. Like people's roles will be a little fuzzed so it'll definitely be different. You'll see. xD

5/4/2015 MAAAAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU

* * *

**Sakura POV**

I held the handkerchief firmly in my hand, _Do not worry Sakura-chan, it's just high school._ Naruto reaffirmed my confidence earlier.

He left the staircase – or what I now call our secret meeting place – not long after. But he tried to help all the same. Despite his efforts, the flour remained prevalent on my school uniform.

He showed the human side of F4, one of the few guiding lights away from all the chaos. A true light in the darkness. Naruto's brilliant smiles had me pining for more. Yearning to learn more about him, yet also attracted the dangerousness of the situation. While charismatic, he was still _F4_.

The group lead by the merciless Sasuke Uchiha. The cruel boy who needed to be put in his place. A boy who issued the student body to attack me without hesitation.

_You cannot, absolutely cannot back down from Sasuke. I forbid you._

Flashing him a proud smirk, I promised him I wouldn't. Besides, what else could possibly go wrong?

My phone vibrated in my pocket, ripping me out of my musings.

'Where the hell are you? I heard what happened! – TenTen,'

'I'm alright, don't worry.'

Maybe this school was not so bad after all.

* * *

Ugh, you have got to be kidding me.

"Hey Forehead-girl, looks like we're workmates now, huh?" Ino smirked before flipping her hair.

"Why are you even working here? You come from a clan, you don't need to work." I replied.

"That's exactly what I said! But apparently I need to do an internship for my communications class, isn't that such crap?"

Surprised she was even replying to me, I only gave a grimacing smile before turning away, back to the work at hand.

Hopefully she will not bother me much. Looking up, she already flipped out her phone and was furiously texting away at a rapid rate. I was probably just some nameless student to her. It could be worse.

* * *

"You cannot possibly believe someone on campus is pregnant?" I teased Tenten, she splurged on school gossip.

"The anonymous profile of the alleged Miss K definetly has my attention." She replied, "You can't help but wonder who it is. I mean, c'mon we're all so young. Who could it possibly be?"

"I don't know, but I don't really care."

"I love you Sakura-chan, because you are just so innocent. That's the problem about Konoha High, everyone cares." Tenten stated it like fact before waving goodbye to go to her class.

Entering my class brought an immediate silence. The once raucous classroom could now be disturbed by the small clicks from my heel. _Sigh._ For red-card girl over here, this was something I am used to. Ignoring the looks and snickers of the other students, I simply went over to my seat.

Or at least where my seat used to be.

Looking up in curiousity, Karin was finally nearing me. "Problems finding your desk?"

"Where did you put it?" I asked, already sick of her shit.

"Look around forehead. I'm sure you'll find something." Glaring at her and turning away, I looked to the chalkboards that of course creamed profanities against me. But this time had a different twinge.

"Screw you whore Haruno! But it looks like someone already did."

"Abortion is bad, but for you – you should do it."

In an angry stride, I tried to erase the false messages. They couldn't possibly think I was the pregnant Miss K student?

"Go ahead and erase, it's not like you can do anything about this." Karin showed me her phone, a mass text stating I – Sakura Haruno – is identity behind the anonymous Miss K.

I very nearly snarled before stomping out. Sasuke crossed the line.

He was so fucking far from the line.

He was so far from the line he was at the point where he had to make his own line.

Looks like I'll have to punt him back towards it.

In a fit of anger, I stomped down those _stupistupid _glass stairs that lead to the F4 hangout. I entered only to see the entire group just sitting around as if they were waiting for me.

"Right on time, now I will not accept your apology—"

If I had any coherent thought from the classroom to the hangout, I would not bet on it.

Instead I choose to interrupt the Konoha _prince_ to reel back my arm and punch right in his _stupidstupid_ face. The force picked him up from his spot on the chair and instead had him landing flat on his ass, sputtering and surprised at the action.

Naruto did not hold back his laughter, since it echoed throughout the entire room. Meanwhile, Sasuke held his jaw, "If this is your idea of an apology-"

Apparently he hadn't learned his lesson.

My leg went automatically and seemed to work on it's own, going right across his ribcage.

"Listen now you little punk bitch. This red card crap has gotten too far!" I exclaimed, "You dare accuse me of being pregnant? An innocent student who has yet to have her first kiss."

Sasuke could only glare at me from his spot on the floor.

"Mess with me again, and I will end you." With that sentence, I turned and walked back up the stairs.

The chuckles coming from the other F4 members were more obvious, and eventually broke into full laughter once I was halfway up the stairs.

Tenten, somehow knowing where I was, waited for me at the top of the stairs. She first greeted me with a look of shock, before giving me a full-on slap on the back for finally dethroning _his highness._

* * *

**Narrator POV**

That little pink-haired _bitch._ Sakura was quite the spitfire alright, he'll give her that. Most students would have begged for mercy. They would fall to their knees and offer all they could just for a little respite.

And yet, she did none of the sort. Unlike the weak targets of the past, she did not crawl to him in apology. No, she sauntered up to him and beat him until he was on his ass.

With a smirk, she was one of the only few girls to ever deny him. Most would confess their love, swoon at his looks, and beg for his attention. In this case, they would beg for forgiveness. However, Sakura only loathed him.

She was violent and short-tempered. Traits that could easily be found in himself also.

He laughed, they were alike but still so different.

Maybe that was what made him gravitate towards her.

Sasuke blinked before thinking _where the hell did that thought come from._

They were enemies – mortal enemies – and yet he could not help but feel attracted to the young girl.

Maybe that was what she was planning all along, Sasuke thought with a smirked chuckle.

"What are you laughing at? You're pretty chummy for a guy who just got his ass handed him." Naruto stated.

"I finally figured it out. Simply, she's infatuated with me." Sasuke replied.

Naruto blinked before laughing again, sitting across from Sasuke, obviously intrigued and confused at his reasoning.

"I think she might have hit you too hard in the head." Neji commented while Shikamaru agreed, also interested.

"Think about it. You two are the acclaimed ladies-men of the F4," Sasuke stated, "What she accused of me earlier, was really just a request."

"What?" Naruto asked flatly.

"Forehead called herself, 'An innocent student who has yet to have her first kiss.'" Sasuke stated matter-o-factly, "She made sure that I knew that loud and clear."

"Because she wants you to take her first kiss?" Neji asked.

"Exactly." Sasuke replied.

"Ugh, so troublesome." Shikamaru commented, smirking at his friend's logic.

"She is quite the smart spit-fire, thinking I would not figure it out." Sasuke smirked to nothing in particular. Thinking about his battle-plans for another day.

Shikamaru and Neji shared a look, noting that the adventures with this Sakura were only beginning. Meanwhile, Naruto inwardly grimaced, worried about what Sasuke had planned.

* * *

_Curse my crazy temper!_ Sakrua thought as she gently hit her head against her locker. The look Sasuke gave her was worth it all, but now it was obvious things were going to change – maybe somehow even _get worse._

Groaning at the thought, Sakura readied to leave. Her patience was wearing thin, she was not sure if she could even last at the school for the rest of the semester. It was only a matter of time before Sasuke decided to strike again. His last attack showed how willing he was to demoralize her. It can only get worse.


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry I've been missing for a while, but here I am! Hopefully I'm here to stay :)

**Disclaimer: **Do not own :(

* * *

The mysterious _click_ that resounded through the locker room immediately gained my attention. To my knowledge, I am the only swimmer on the girls Konoha swim team. Why and how did someone enter the room?

The question fluttered in my mind, before being brushed off as some janitor or any other staff. I turned my attention back to the locker, retrieving my things to leave. Not a few seconds later, the locker was slammed closed a hand shut my mouth from protest.

"Here's the little red card whore." One of the three captors stated.

I struggled against, not willing to succumb to these crazed _students._ To believe that there were rapists in this school, one of richest, most prominently known, was mighty unbelievable.

Hands that were not restricting me started riding up roughly, tugging at the clothes and ripping them here and there. My eyes stung from the tears and the adrenaline pumped my heart as though it would burst.

"It seems as if you do not appreciate your lives." A man stated loudly, meanwhile ripping the captors from me. Not showing any mercy, he incapacitated the two others, knocking their heads together like coconuts.

It was then that I noticed the appearance of my savoir. He looked an awful lot like the exact bane of my existence. His dark, ebony hair was longer though. Dark locks were restrained by a hair tie behind him. Even with hair longer than mine, he exuded a different type of masculinity. Our eyes meet, and his stance changed from tense and fighting to a more relaxed one.

"Come with me." He commanded, more than ask. A hand already firmly grasped around my arm, leading me out of the locker room. Moving quickly through the hallways, ignoring the pointing and none discreet gossipers, he lead me out into the parking lot.

Moving in a blur, and being slightly pushed into a black BMW, I realized he actually did have a destination in mind. "Where are you taking me?" I asked.

"To my home." He replied, looking at my ripped clothing.

"And where is that?" I asked, however he only smirked at me through the mirror. "Do I at least get to know the name of knight in shining armor?"

"Itachi." My eyes widened at this fact. Itachi Uchiha. _The _Itachi Uchiha. The brother to my sworn enemy. Thoughts of what he could possibly do to me for embarrassing his brother suddenly flew through my mind. While Itachi did save me, he could only be leading me into a more secluded area to do more personal damage.

The fear was apparent on my face, and Itachi calmed my mind, "I am nothing like my foolish little brother." I only gave him a weary smile, curious at how easily he could read me.

The drive to his home was in the opposite direction of mine, showing the distinct separation of the rich and poor. "It seems though a certain someone has finally been standing up against my brother's antics." He pulled me out of my thoughts, "This is my way of thanks."

"You enjoy someone beating up your brother?" I chuckled slightly.

"Much of his life has consisted of demanding and violence, with no expectation of consequence." He said, thinking back wistfully, "It is welcoming to see a change."

Thinking to Sasuke's belligerence, it was a clear contrast to Itachi's calm and calculated personality. Outward appearance aside, it was a wonder how the two were even brothers. I could only wonder what their parents were like. Hopefully not all Uchiha's are this strange.

That last thought must have been accidentally said out loud, since Itachi replied, "I will take that as a compliment." Sasuke got his knowing, arrogant smirk from Itachi, though. That much was sure.

**XXXXXX**

Sitting in the luxurious living room, it was clear that I absolutely did not belong. In an act of self-consciousness, I tucked a lock of pink-hair behind me ear, feeling uncomfortable. Itachi left the room minutes ago, before making sure I was safely in this room.

Itachi was on the phone, his voice flitting through the silence of the hallways. However, that ended and a, "Yes please, if you can," was distantly heard as Itachi talked to the maid. Once the maid gave her nondescript response, he reappeared in the living room to join me.

Eyeing the scrape on my arms with a critical eye, Itachi stated, "Let me fix those injuries for you."

"No, I can fix it when I get home. You've already done so much for me—" My statement was cut off when he gently pulled me from my place on the couch, and down other halls.

On the way, we passed different opulent paintings and sculptures. Some were recognizable, coming from different parts of the world, while others were obscure to me. It was obvious the family wanted to display their social status.

Finally in the bathroom, which was about the size of my room, only bigger, he sat me down and went to retrieve the proper first aid materials.

"This will sting slightly," Itachi commented, as if asking for permission. I only nodded, ready to brace myself.

It was only then that I realized the extent of the scrape, the stinging was enough for me to grasp his arm. He glanced at the contact, smirked, and continued his ministrations.

Smirking definitely runs in the family.

After a few minutes, the pain subsided and I retracted my hand. Finally realizing the extent of how close we were, I blushed and looked away from his presence. Itachi's smirk widened in my peripheral. _Jackass._

"Sorry, but it seems all we have are these hello kitty bandages."

"That's quite alright," I replied, finally able to diminish the clear red that spread across my face, but not looking at him, "Thank you for this."

Not liking the lack of eye contact, he gently nudged my chin to face him. Having a clear view of his masculine visage, the blush returned at full force. "A beaut like you does not deserve to have debauchers after you." His eyes roamed from the blush on my cheeks to my chapped lips, back to my eyes.

"No one can ever really be sure of how malicious Sasuke is." Itachi nodded knowingly, giving one last look at me before straightening back up.

"I recommend you stay here with me until school is over, and I will escort you home." I only smiled lightly at how much of a gentleman he truly is.

"… Thank you. Itachi, I can't thank you enough for—" My phone's ringtone was apparently coming from Itachi's back pocket.

"Looks like you're getting a call." Itachi commented, but showing no movement in getting it.

"Can I have it?" I questioned.

"Why don't you come and get it?" Fuck gentleman-ness apparently, as Itachi's smirk widened and I could only blush harder. Taking note of my flushed appearance, he handed me my phone before walking out of the room for privacy.

"_Holy shit Sakura, where are you?" _Tenten's voice was dolphin-worthy through the phone, _"I heard about those students, where the hell are you okay?"_

"How did you hear about it? That literally just happened!"

"_Dude, they are getting expelled! It's all over the news about what they tried to do to you."_

"The news? But I didn't tell… anyone..." My mind thought back to the phone call Itachi made while I was in the living room, "That damn weasel, I will never understand this family."

"_Weasel?" _There was a moment of silence before Tenten finally thought, "_Are you talking about the sexiest weasel of them all, Itachi Uchiha?" _She finished her sentence in Japanese.

I laughed out of nervousness, trying not to get Tenten's words stuck in my head, "Goodbye Tenten, I am safe and will not be going back to school today."

"_What? Where are you?"_

"You won't believe this, but Uchiha Manor." I replied in a whisper voice.

"_Are you serious? Wait a seconds, was it Itachi that saved you? OMG you cannot keep this information from me!"_

"Goodbye Tenten!" I laughed lightly, hanging up and hearing her opposition before shutting it closed.

Opening the door, it was then that I realized I had no idea where I was in the enormous estate. Looking left and right, as if I was crossing the street, I tried to recount the memories of walking here. Making a left, it was clear that it was not distinct. Turning around, the other direction was not familiar either.

Knowing that I was screwed either way, I counted going right before getting to a single hallway. "Well this is definitely not right."

"It seems your sense of direction needs work." Feeling like a deer in headlights, I turned towards him with a sheepish smile. "Maybe you are simply lucky, since you saved me the time and effort of acquiring you to simply bring you here."

"Where does this lead?"

"My room."

**XXXXXX**

**Narrator POV**

Sasuke was fucking livid.

While he was impressed at how much control he had over the mindless minions called students, but also was angry at their lack of morals.

Sure he was an asshole, but not _that_ much of an asshole.

Who the hell thinks they have the right to touch _his _girl? He thought. Sasuke was momentarily surprised he referred to Sakura as his, but brushed it off because that was damn fact. Sakura was only resisting him to get his attention, he was sure, and now that she had it he was not about to let her go.

It was then that his phone rang, "What's up Shikamaru?"

Sasuke knew for sure that those students would not have attempted to rape Sakura if not for the influence of someone else, and inquired Shikamaru to find who was behind it. "We found the source of those idiots."

"Bring him here quickly."

"… You're in for a surprise Sasuke." The conversation ended, and Sasuke continued his golfing. Golfing in the F4 hangout? Of course it is possible, it was Sasuke's fourth period class.

Obviously not giving a shit about pulling the student out of class, Sasuke tapped his club impatiently. The call literally ended, but he had to know who dared to go against his claim of Sakura.

After a few minutes, "Here's your culprit." Shikamaru shoved the person inside before walking back to his own period.

Sasuke kept his back turned, he refused to talk first. Let the person instead writher in fear. But instead, the person said, "I heard you needed me Sasuke-kun?"

"Karin?"

"I think you wanted to compliment me on finally showing that girl where she belongs."

"I think you need to shut your damn mouth." Sasuke replied, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. It makes sense that the president of his fan club would do something as stupid as this. Sitting down, knowing he can't beat the shit out of her like he was planning on, he thought to what he can do.

"Are you defending that scum?" Karin scoffed, ignoring the insult, "She is not worth shit, and deserved to be rattled up."

Sasuke stood up, not believing her tone with _him_, "Have your parents failed to train morals into you? Or is that simply the result of your own stupidity?" Sasuke asked in a commanding tone.

Karin stammered, "I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, but my parents taught me that poverty-stricken like that pink-haired bitch do not deserve to even be in our presence." Knowing that she definitely fucked up, she kneeled on the floor, as if begging for forgiveness.

"Then you, and your parents, are horrible people." Sasuke replied, "Get out of my sight." Karin only ran back up the stairs, scared that she lost any possibility of Sasuke forgiving her.

Peeved that he was unable to get the violent outburst he was hoping for, he flipped opened his cell phone to check on his conversation with Shikamaru, about his other request.

To: Shikamaru

From: Sasuke

Have you found her yet?

To: Sasuke

From: Shikamaru

No, she missed all of her classes so far.

In a sneer of irritation, Sasuke typed back, "Aa. Keep me informed."

Wanting to clear up any misunderstanding, Sasuke made it his goal to find Sakura before the end of the day. It would not be in his best endeavor if she believed he was the one that sic those ruffians on her.

Taking the search into his own hands, he flipped opened his cell phone again.

To: Neji

From: Sasuke

Can you get me TenTen's schedule?

**XXXXXX**

"These are absolutely adorable," Sakura commented as she flipped through the pages of the family album, sitting on the edge of his bed, "Who knew that devil was once an adorable little child?" She mused.

"Everyone was a child once," Itachi replied back, sitting next to her.

"I assumed he was born as Lucifer, then took form as the human we know as Sasuke."

Itachi's lips curved in amusement, "You are quite the interesting little girl." Taking the family album out of her hands, their hands momentarily brushed, causing Sakura to blush lightly. Thankfully, the ebony-haired man had his back turned, putting the album on one of his shelves.

Tenten's words were constantly invading her mind. Previous to her friend's comments on Itachi, she viewed him simply as the brother of her sworn enemy who happened to actually appreciate her presence.

_Now, _he was the sexy, tall, knight in shining armor that saved her from the henchmen sent by her adversary. His hair shined from obvious maintenance, kept loosely behind his shoulders. His frame looked more masculine, while not overly muscles, his toned figure was obvious whenever he used his arms.

Four hours ago, she barely made his acquaintance. Two hours ago, she was entirely grateful for his saving presence. Now, she blushed at whatever skinship he involuntarily gave her.

Pulling her out of her thoughts, Itachi laughed slightly, gaining her attention on his lips. Noticing exactly where her thoughts were wandering, Itachi caught her off guard by quickly approaching and tapping her chin to make eye contact.

"I want to get to know you more, enhance ourselves as friends." Itachi stated with a smirk.

"I am offended. I was under the assumption that we were already friends." Sakura replied back with a smile.

Itachi pulled back, a smile evident on his face. "If you are truly this charismatic, friendly little girl that I have gotten to know today," Itachi mused, "Mind telling me why Sasuke has made you the objects of his hatred."

"Of all people, I thought you were well aware." Sakura replied back.

"Sasuke does not exactly share his feelings or how his day was."

"Still, you must have heard something at school."

"I try not to associate myself with the gossip of our mundane school."

Deciding there was no way out of this, I started from the very beginning, "So y'know that laundry person that saved that guy from suicide a couple months ago…"

**XXXXXX**

"Is it true, that you did that Karin?" Ino questioned her best friend.

"Of course, who else would have the courage to finally try to rid that girl of our hair?" Karin replied.

"But, that's horrible." Ino was weary of all the other ploys that were done to Sakura, however had failed to speak up against it until now, "She honestly hasn't done anything to deserve this."

"That's so untrue!" Karin squealed, "Since she got here, that girl has done nothing but interfere with our prospects of gaining Sasuke's love." Her face morphed into anger as she thought of the pink-haired girl.

"She has done nothing but defend herself." Ino replied.

"She wouldn't have to defend herself if she simply just left, which was the way that I was trying to guide her." Karin responded, walking away after, not wanting to have to continue the conversation.

Ino sat unsure, questioning how far Karin was willing to go in her endeavor to gain Sasuke's love. In her continuing epiphany, she wondered why it took her so long to realize how much of a crazy, shitty person her _ex-_best friend was.

**XXXXXX**

If Sasuke thought he was _pissed _at school, he was wholly angry, not a single bone in his body refraining from their tense positions.

Cornering Sakura's best friend, Tenten, hadn't helped at all.

"_I, in all honesty, have no idea where she is. She replied to my text last period, saying that she is fine, but not returning to school today." Tenten replied, surprised that he even asked, "Why do you even care? Trying to atone for your sins?"_

_He decided to entertain her, call it an exchange of information, "Yes, she doesn't deserve this. I want to be her savior."_

_Turning his back, knowing that she would be shocked without even checking her reaction, he spun towards his car for a more in-depth search._

Pulling into the driveway, Sasuke was surprised to see Itachi's car already home. He usually had debate team practices on this day. However, it is for the better since now he could inquire his older brother for help.

Making his way to Itachi's bedroom, Sasuke entered saying, "Is it too late to cash in that favor—"

Only to be met with the eyeful of Sakura sitting on his brother's bed, with Itachi sitting at the desk.

"What the hell is going on here?"


	5. Chapter 5

Two chapters in one week :) _**Enjoy**_

* * *

"Welcome home little brother." Itachi stated plainly, as if the sight laid in front of his younger brother was that of regular routine.

"I am not going to ask you again." Sasuke bit back, eyes traveling between Itachi and Sakura.

"It seems as though some of your lackeys have targeted Sakura-san, this morning," Itachi beat around the bush, "It was for her safety that I intervened and take care of her here."

"Well you don't need to anymore," Sasuke stated, grabbing a thrashing Sakura's arm.

"I don't want to go with you!" She yelled, trying to pull her arm out of his grasp. He only glared in response, which silenced her verbal opposition.

Itachi gave no argument to Sasuke taking her, causing Sakura to glare at him for betraying her so quickly. The older Uchiha only waved and said, "Have fun you too. Remember to use safety."

This only made Sakura furiously blush, bringing the odd image of her flushing not from the anger, but the innuendo. Itachi smirked at the two, remembering the days he was trying to court someone. He could recall how horrible he was, but Sasuke was on an entirely other level of shit-flirting.

Sasuke quickly rushed through the house to the garage, where he stuffed the frazzled pink-haired student. It was only when she was putting on her seat-belt that she realized for the second time today she was being whisked away somewhere.

"Where are you taking me?" Sakura asked.

"Your home." Sasuke grunted out.

"…Why are _you_, out of all people, being nice to me?" Sasuke winced at her words, but remembered his epiphany earlier that her cutting edge was only an act to get his attention.

"It was my determination to find you before the day was over, and clear the misunderstanding that I was not the one who sent those rapists after you."

"But… Why?"

"Call it an extension of friendliness," Sasuke smirked at her confused expression, "But don't get used to it you violent little twerp." He quickly stated as if to cover his unusual pleasantness.

Sakura could only gape at the ebony-haired man, confused at his suddenly amused demeanor when only a few hours ago she could have sworn he could kill her without remorse. It seemed almost as if he was _teasing_ her.

Despite everything today, it was at this moment that she was the most perplexed.

**XXXXXX**

"Wow not only one but two Uchiha's?" Tenten asked between her giggles, "Wow you are one lucky lady."

"Shut up, you have no idea how I feel right now." Sakura stated, her head in her hands. She resumed recalling the rest of the day before to her best friend, the two obviously not paying attention to the chemistry class they were in.

"I would jump at the opportunity to spend hours with one of the sexiest men of our school."

"Tenten! And it was all your fault that I got all blushy whenever Itachi touched me."

"... He touched you?" Tenten's smile spread from ear to ear, "More than once?"

Sakura could only blush at the implication, eyes widening at what the brunette was thinking of, "Wait, no that came out wrong. That's not at all what I meant."

"What? The fact that you and a certain weasel had an interesting romp yesterday?" Sakura could only sputter at Tenten's accusation, before outwardly shuddering and squealing in annoyance.

"That's totally not what happened-"

The teacher then slammed her ruler down on Sakura's desk, "Since you seem to know the material already, as evidenced by your rude disruptions throughout the lecture, mind solving the equation on the board?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly at the teacher, before making her way to the board. Karin and Ami were mockingly laughing, expecting the pink-haired girl to be unable to solve it. Ino was also present, but surprisingly sitting farther away from the other two.

Looking at the board, Sakura smirked knowingly, chemistry was a synch for her.

_Cu+2AgNO 3 →2Ag+Cu(NO 3) 2_

_How many moles of Ag will be produced from 16.0 g of Cu, assuming 3AgNO 3 is available in excess?_

Sakura remembered her apprenticeship with Tsunade-sama, and how she was originally aiming to be a doctor. Chemistry, and this stoichiometry equation before her, could easily be done without writing her work on the board.

"There will be 0.504 moles of Ag produced." Sakura stated proudly, to which the class remained agape.

"There's no way that is right." The teacher retorted, before doing her own work on the board to prove the pink-haired student wrong, "It seems you are correct…" The room remained silent, focused either on the teacher's glaring eyes or Sakura's smug smirk.

Seeing that she made her point, Sakura made her way back to her seat, before high-fiving Tenten on the way. "So anyway as I was saying," she continued her story.

**XXXXXX**

Sakura stretched her arms, hearing cracking in both elbow and shoulder. While she knew she should not overwork herself with swim practice, she was the only one on the team and it was incredibly hard to win at meets. Not wanting to take a break, she continued her laps.

That was until she heard the door open.

Definitely not wanting a repeat of yesterday, Sakura readied to get out of the pool and make a mad dash for her phone on one of the chairs.

"No need to look so tense, Sakura-chan."

"Naruto!" Sakura greeted with a smile, leaning on the edge of the pool to see him.

Naruto nodded, and looked at the time on his watch and back to her, "How many laps can you swim back and forth?"

"About eight, I'm still working on it though."

"I can see that, it's already getting late." Sakura looked out the window, to see the sun still shining high, she smiled at his worried demeanor, "I don't want you to face any altercations again."

Sakura's face changed into a knowing smile, "So you heard about yesterday."

"Yes, and a woman like you does not deserve to have that happen to her, especially not again."

"Thanks Naruto, I guess I should make my way out now." Sakura headed his advice and climbed out of the pool.

"I can give you a ride home, Sakura-chan." He offered, handing her the towel he spotted on the chair.

"No thanks, the walk home is kinda like training my stamina for me."

Naruto gave a weird smile, "You are very strange." Reaching around her, he wrapped the towel to encase her safely. Rubbing her shoulders to ensure she was warm and dry, he smiled at their close proximity.

"Stay safe, Sakura-chan." He gave her one final squeeze, before making his way out. Sakura smiled and held the areas at which he touched her. His touch, while already gone, left butterflies in her stomach.

Smiling to no one in particular, Sakura went to change back into regular clothes.

**XXXXXX**

Opening the door, and making her way down the entrance, Sakura saw a horde of men in suits waiting around. "Are you Haruno Sakura?"

Not wanting to fall prey to Sasuke's antics, she replied with a firm _No_ before walking down the steps.

It seemed as though they did not buy her act, and continued to try to subtly follow her. Turning around to fully face her the attempting captors, she counted four of them. One had a beard, while the others had no recognizable traits.

_They didn't even bother to dress casually and blend in,_ Sakura mused.

Deciding to back away, while facing them, every step she took was followed by them trying to slightly draw closer.

Knowing they weren't about to give up, Sakura looked down to her shoes to make sure they were safely tied. Making the façade of stretching her arm, she quickly made a mad dash.

Mere seconds later they gave chase and Sakura found herself running around campus.

_Goddamnit Sasuke!_ A kidnapping attempt of all things? Sakura thought from her spot underneath the bush. A fleeting thought that it was not in fact Sasuke's men, gave her a new, scary determination to get away.

Sasuke hadn't messed with her all day, of course these had to be his men, to get her, right?

_I hate bugs. I hate bugs._ But if Sakura had to choose between ants and Sasuke, she would gladly not only take the ants but dance and eat them if it meant staying away from the devil's presence.

Deciding that the suit's missing presence were a good sign, Sakura slowly crawled backwards out. Pulling out her phone to text Naruto for help, she suddenly felt her legs being grabbed and pulled from the niche she had adapted to.

Struggling against the suits seemed futile, since she was soon stuffed into a car where a handkerchief covered her mouth. Darkness soon came.

Waking up to a massage, and later the pain of waxing, was not something Sakura was looking forward to. At least she recognized the décor to match the Uchiha Manor, therefore it could be either Itachi or Sasuke that required her presence.

She instantly laughed at the possibility of it being Itachi, if he wanted to see her he would simply drag her out of class again. And the older Uchiha liked to mostly be a gentleman, therefore would not sic a bunch of suited-kidnappers on her.

This was definitely the work of Sasuke, and surprisingly she left out a sigh of relief. Sasuke revealed his friendlier side yesterday, and if it were anyone else she would have to fear the possibility of murder or rape.

"Let me escort you to young-master." The butler stated as he knocked on the door.

Making her way through familiar halls, yet not identifiable enough to remember the way, she could only assume the end of this hall would eventually lead her to Sasuke.

"I will leave you too to it." The butler politely stated, before backing away. Sakura made her way through the recognizable living room. Spotting the _chicken-ass _ebony hair at the window, she sauntered behind him demanding an explanation.

"Sasuke, why—"

"Look at you," He interrupted, "See how money can change an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan." Grabbing her shoulders, he turned her into they were side-by-side and facing their reflection in the mirror.

"We look good together." Sasuke stated simply, admiring the reflection.

Sakura looked at the reflection wearily, unsure if this was Sasuke's own brand of weird social torture.

"I heard about your outburst today, in chemistry class." Sasuke made eye contact through the mirror.

Not wanting to ask how he heard about it, "I know it was rude of me to be talking in class, but it was that teacher who tried to embarrass me!" Sakura defended herself to his amused expression, conveyed by his raised eye-brow, "She demanded I solve the equation, so I did."

"A chemistry genius, it seems," Sasuke commented, as he rubbed her arms in a similar manner to how Naruto did an hour ago. This thought caused Sakura to resist a shudder, asking herself why the hell _Sasuke_ was being so affectionate, "This is fitting for the apprentice of the great Tsunade-sama."

Sakura could not defy her body's will to widen her eyes in surprise, "Where did you hear about that?"

Sasuke shook his head, showing he was not going to answer her question. Instead, he continued, "Look at what money did to you, it made you irresistible."

"I didn't ask for this." Sakura felt her anger build up again, "One does not require money to be happy."

"But money makes life entirely more enjoyable." Sasuke retorted, "Name one thing, which money cannot buy."

Sakura was speechless, unsure of a response. She only turned around, heading towards the exit to leave. "See, there is nothing." Sasuke commented from his position, before footsteps could be heard of him nearing her.

"I will bring you home." Sasuke grabbed her arm.

"Let go," Sakura tugged on the pressure, "I would rather walk home on my meager feet, than an expensive BMW."

Sasuke sighed, obviously fed-up with her stubbornness, "I will walk you to the door then."

Not knowing how to disagree with this, Sakura gave in and said, "At least release some pressure off my arm." Sasuke followed her request, and instead linked their hands together, "What the hell are you doing?" Sakura exclaimed.

"Don't act surprised." Sasuke simply said in response, guiding her to the door.

"You will see later, at some point in life, that money is not entirely necessary for happiness." Sakura stated, before leaving the Uchiha manor.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! I've decided to return to this, bc there is a fucking blizzard outside and I am so bored LOL. I've been watching so much Free! Lately, omg. I will update that too today! **

**ALMOST PARADISSSEEEEE**

* * *

Sakura sat befuddled, trying to muster up her bearings while chilling on the well-decorated lawn of the Uchiha manor. Sasuke's personality continually did 180's, confusing the pink-haired medic-nin in-training. After Sasuke closed the door, she spotted a bench not too far away to gather her thoughts.

The past two days were living proof of how much Sasuke could be both an asshole and a gentleman. Or at least attempt to be a gentleman.

But, of course, this _gentleman _is the same boy who red-carded her.

On the other hand, this is the same boy who attempted to pamper her today. While Sakura secretly enjoyed the attention that the handsome heart-throb of Konoha High gave her, she knew that he was still an ass. A day of pampering ended with an insult to her social class. The question he posed was still plaguing her mind.

Is there anything one could not buy?

Befuddled, Sakura attempted to walk home. It took about ten steps to realize that her uniform sneakers were replaced with expensive platformers, another gift of Sasuke's. Snarling slightly, she took them off before realizing the walk was a rocky one.

Grimacing and cursing Sasuke more, her rage at the chicken-ass haired boy increased. Her red-fury obscured her sense of hearing and ignored the car coming up behind her. "Sakura?" A voice she had only heard a handful of times before, yet still recognized.

"Ino-san?"

"What do you think you're doing? Get in the car!" Surprised, Sakura did not hide her hesitation.

"How do I know you and your band of friends aren't going to murder me?"

"Because they're not my friends anymore." Astonished once again, Sakura cautiously entered.

Once safely inside, the limo driver continued on their way. A moment of silence dragged on, before Sakura finally asked the question that was eating inside of her, "So why aren't you guys friends anymore?"

Ino looked away, before making eye contact again, "It took me this long to realize how horrible of human beings they are, if they even are that."

_If what they did was enough to snap Ino, it must have been quite the action._ Sakura mused, before asking, "So what did they do?"

"Are you not aware of the people who tried to rape you?" Ino asked, surprised Sakura was not aware.

Reminiscing of the memory, Sakura grimace before saying, "I know who the guys are now, why?"

"They didn't just do it because of a red-card," Ino stated matter-of-factly, as if it was obvious, "They did it because Karin persuaded them to. Really think about it."

Realization poured into Sakura's mind. The mindless lackeys, while unintentional of Sasuke, would do anything to ensure his attention. She was grateful for Itachi being a saving grace. However, it was clear that if willing to do that, Karin would not stop to get rid of her, red-card be damned. All Karin wanted was Sasuke's attention.

"If I had known ahead of time, I would've warned you." Ino pulled Sakura from her thoughts.

"Why are you nice to me? I understand why you're not friends with them, but this…" Sakura drew out, not knowing how to end the sentence.

"Because you don't deserve how everyone else treats you," Ino stated in a whisper, her voice laced with guilt, "So why should I add onto it?"

"Are you sure?"

"Are you trying to make me hate you? Because it's not working, forehead-girl." Ino teased, "Sorry it took me so long, but I know now that what they were doing was terrible."

Smiling, Sakura looked to her newfound friend, "Better late than never, Ino-pig."

**XXXXXXXX**

Looking at the fancy shoes one last time, Sakura returned them in the bag before heading down to the F4 hideout. Noticing no one was around, she cursed and wished she texted Naruto ahead of time. But of course he would ask why Sasuke had given them to her in the first place and that was a conversation she did not want to have.

Biting her lip, she considered just leaving them on the floor near the entrance. That was until someone cleared their throat behind her.

"Shikamaru-san, Neji-san." Remembering that they were the nicest of the group, she bowed before continuing, "Please return these to Sasuke-baka for me."

Neji smiled at the adage, while Shikamaru only motioned for me to stay, "Do you have a few extra minutes?" After gathering some tea and biscuits and other assorted baked goods, the two members of F4 sat across the pink-haired girl.

"So, what's this about?"

Neji looked to the side before looking back at her, "We just wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For making school here much more interesting." Neji stated, Shikamaru lightly whispering _and troublesome._

"That wasn't my intention, I assure you." Sakura replied back.

"Consider us friends, Sakura-chan. Maybe next time we can plan the next altercation." Neji said.

"You want to torment your friend?" Sakura lightly chuckled and took note of the new name attachment.

"Sometimes he needs it." It was Shikamaru's turn to comment.

With nothing left to add to the conversation, Sakura glanced over to the commercial playing idly on the ignored television. The two followed her eyes and Shikamaru commented on the beautiful girl.

"How is Hinata-chan?"

"She is well, visiting soon for the upcoming field trip."

"I wonder if that's the only reason." Shikamaru implied _something, _but Sakura was unsure.

"It would be no surprise if she was here for Naruto as well." Neji suggested.

This gained Sakura's immediate attention, "Who is this Hinata-san?"

"That's my cousin." Neji explained, "Her and Naruto were very close. She was able to comfort him when Naruto's parents died."

"Almost like a second mother," Shikamaru added, "Except maybe, now it looks like a romantic relationship than a platonic one."

Sakura's heart fell and she struggle to keep the neutral, interested look on her face. She could not honestly say that she was devastated, but could not deny that the beginnings of _something_ was happening. However, from this startling news, it seemed that nothing was ever going to happen.

Naruto was simply the one in the F4 who showed her compassion, nothing outside of that.

Sighing with this realization, Sakura got up and stated, "I really should get back to class." The two nodded before getting up as well.

**XXXXXXXX**

Tenten was initially confused as to why Ino was being friendly to the two, but after Sakura's quick explanation Tenten was more willing. Sure, she was still a little skeptical over the once mean girl. But after Ino invited the two several times to her home, it was clear that the blonde was serious about it. Of course, Ino also offered Tenten free access to her pool and sports center and from there the two were incredibly close.

Quickly, the three became best friends.

"Are you going on the field trip?" Ino asked her new best friends during chemistry class.

"Me? Nah." Sakura commented.

"I don't think so either." Tenten replied.

"Why not?!" Ino was astonished.

"I don't have the money. Besides, I can be making more instead of spending it." Sakura explained. "And I don't want to willingly spend time in an enclosed area where I could face a certain someone's torture."

Ino looked to TenTen, "Sorry, but I don't exactly get along with the rest of our year either."

"What if I spotted you guys?"

"No way, Ino-pig! That's way too much money." Sakura immediately interjected.

"Forehead, is that your only reason why not to do it?" Ino asked.

"Well, other than Sasuke, yeah." Ino's eyes gleamed with a certain glint that Sakura could not place, other than purely suspicious.

Surprisingly, the blonde stopped arguing, only adding to Sakura's suspicion. She definitely had something up her sleeve, but the rest of the school-day went by uneventful. Later after school, Sakura was sitting in her living room catching up with her studies when a sudden doorbell rang.

"Ino? What are you doing here?"

"Are you parents' home?" The blonde ignored her friend and inquired.

"Yeah…?" Sakura answered, turning to the side for her friend to enter the home. Leading Ino to the kitchen, she signaled for her parents to look over to where she was.

"Hello, beautiful friend of Sakura's!" The pink haired student's father greeted, causing an immediate face-palm.

"Hello, beautiful parents of Sakura's!" Sakura forgot how much of a charmer her friend was. "I'll get right to the point. I invited her to join me on field trip and she refused."

Sakura was instantly trying to shove her friend back into the living room, not wanting her parents to know she refused the invitation. That pig! It seemed Ino was willing to take advantage of her parent's excitement when it came to indulgence.

"And why is that?" Her parents looked back at their daughter.

"It's way too much money." Sakura explained.

Immediately, Ino started, "My family is rich and more than willing to cover the costs. Consider this a present. I was mean to your daughter from the start, I need to make it up to her."

Both of her parents were silent, unsure how to procced. That was, until her mother replied. "Well, since both are such close friends, I don't see why you should deny her request."

Ino had stars in her eyes and soon the entire kitchen was focused on Sakura. Knowing she could not deny her without looking like the bad guy, Sakura conceded, "Fine."

Convincing Tenten to join the field trip was not too hard, since both her friends would be present. She first looked skeptical, since it was a sudden change of heart, but merely replied saying _Why the hell not? (Yolo amirite)_

The day of the field trip soon arrived and the three were sitting amongst the many students at the terminal. Sakura forced herself to ignore the obvious glances Sasuke was throwing at her. She only hoped that joining this voyage was not a mistake.

The three shared a room on the top deck. A comfy room large enough to fit three queen beds. Ino was outraged, how a luxurious boat like this would supply such a meager sized bed. Tenten gave a small chuckle, however shared the same question. Sakura only shrugged her shoulders, it was about the size of her normal bed so she was not about to complain.

Unpacking quickly, the group of friends headed to the deck for enjoy the yacht's amenities. The pool was humongous and it was Sakura's turn to see stars in her eyes. Ino simply lounged at the edge, but the other two rapidly dropped their stuff by the chair and jumped into the pool.

The other students of Konoha High were simply lounging around, obviously more caught up in their looks and socializing than actually having a good time.

"I'll race ya!" Sakura yelled, to which Tenten affirmed with a battle cry.

Sakura hit the wall first, her front-crawl being so much faster, "That's not fair! You're a swimmer." Tenten commented. They continued their merriments before Tenten soon climbed out to relax on a pool chair.

The water was like a second skin to Sakura and she felt no qualms about simply floating here for the rest of the field trip. That was, until she heard a recognizable voice.

"Just like the good ole days, huh?" Naruto with the rest of the F4, along with the woman Sakura saw in the commercial, were walking down the steps to the pool area.

"Just like before." Hinata, Sakura presumed, replied. She was much more beautiful in person then the commercial showed, and Sakura suddenly felt very self-conscious. Noticing their interlocked arms, she swam quickly to the opposite side.

Climbing out and subduing her breaking heart, Sakura pulled her hoodie back on. Ino and Tenten were languidly napping, so she opted to leaving the area and coming back later.

Unknowingly, onyx eyes watched her departure.

Sakura continued to wander, deciding to explore the many nooks and crannies that the expensive boat had to offer. She noticed a game room, and two men interlocked in a heated battle of shogi.

"Itachi-san?" Sakura asked, seeing her previous savior.

After a long gaze at the board, he looked at the direction that he was called, "Sakura." He greeted, "This is my friend Shisui."

Instantly his friend was up and welcoming the girl, "So this is the infamous Sakura-chan." He was very friendly, she noted. "Keep at it." He winked, giving her a relaxed handshake before returning to his chair.

"I trust I'll see you later at the party?" Itachi asked.

"Ah, no." Sakura replied. Sakura heard about it briefly before, but decided she was going to spend this weekend mostly swimming and relaxing.

"Nonsense. I'll escort you." Itachi said, _more like_ _commanded._ Sakura nodded and watched their game, but left soon after since the game had way too much tension to simply be a game of shogi.

Deciding to head back, Sakura was lost. _Shit, of course I am._

"Well, well. Look whose here." The shrill voice of Ami was evident before Sakura even turned around.

"What do you want?" Sakura asked, clearly done with this conversation.

"Nothing," She replied, "I was just wondering if you were going to the party later."

"Sadly yes."

Ami's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second, but then returned back to her fake smile. "Do you even have a costume?"

"What?" Sakura was confused.

"It is a costume party, don't tell me you're not prepared."

"I guess I'm not going after all."

"No, don't worry about it. I happen to have an extra costume." Batting an eyelash, the girl took Sakura's shoulders in hand and led her over to her own dorm room. The room was devoid of any of the other girls and the Sakura was suspicious if the girl would suddenly stab her out of the blue.

The pink-haired girl was forced out of her clothes and into a wonder-woman costume. There was nothing suspicious with the way the girl was preparing her, so Sakura allowed it. Placing a thick jacket over her, Ami started, "We better start heading there now."

Entering the ballroom, it was very clear that this party was very much _not_ a costume party.

Turning around, Sakura tried to make a break for it, obviously embarrassed that she was so wrongly dressed. Ami was joined by the other mean girls in making a wall, and two of them quickly shoved her down.

In the process, the jacket was pulled off and her costume was left to be seen by the whole world.

"Look at this commoner." Karin yelled, pointing. "Is that the only fancy clothes you have? Can't afford anything else?"

Just as quickly, Tenten was stomping over and pushed the red-haired girl aside. "Do you even have a conscience?!" Karin fell to the floor, seething in anger. She waited for her friends to help her up, but help never came. Pushing off the ground, she attempted to get up only to get pushed down again but by Ino.

"We've been worried sick about you! You disappeared suddenly."

Itachi broke up the crowd that was forming, leaving the conversation he was having with Shisui. Naruto quickly got up to help, but the Uchiha simply sat him back down before approaching the girl himself.

He offered a helping hand to Sakura, lifting her off the floor and into his arms. "Are you hurt?"

"No." She blushed at the close-contact.

"Is this the girl you've been talking so much about?" The woman from earlier, Hinata, asked from behind Itachi. "Here, let me." She took Sakura's hand out of Itachi's.

The three girls whisked the pink-haired girl away, undoubtedly to remedy what Ami did. Itachi stepped away and back to stand by the drinks, waiting with Shisui for this date to come back. Shikamaru, however, got up and approached Ami.

"Was that really necessary?" He drew out.

"Yes." Ami stuttered out, unsure if she was in trouble.

"Get out." Letting out a choked sob, the surprised look on her face was evident.

"Why are you defending her?" Ami asked.

"She's my friend." Shikamaru stated before motioning to the guards to escort the girl out, he was unsure if she would go out without a fight. He returned to his spot next to the rest of the F4 right after.

Neji only smirked from where he was observing everything. Both Uchiha's were glancing worriedly at the door, waiting for a certain someone to appear. Almost everyone knew at this point that Itachi made a point of asking her here. But Sasuke, Neji wondered, was he developing feelings for his sworn enemy? Naruto would glance between the two before looking at the door, he was probably thinking along the same lines.

Soon, the girl in question arrived. And _damn. _She looked nice. Shikamaru gave a low whistle. Neji voiced his thoughts, "Maybe I should have her escort me to my next event?"

Sasuke was lost for words. Her pink mane was curled and fell a little below her shoulders. Only a little bit of make-up was used, but it accentuated her emerald eyes. The simply pink dress flirted high above her knees, coupled with nice heels that made her slightly taller.

The entire room seemed to agree with her, and many people took notice of Sakura glammed up.

The plate in Sasuke's hand fell to the floor and he was immediately stalking over to her for a dance. But he was beat, by his own brother.

"Can I have the honor of your first dance?" Itachi offered a hand, to which Sakura blushed.

Ino elbowed her while Tenten winked, both girls walking away to give the two privacy. Hinata smiled and stated, "This true gentleman knows not to leave a beautiful girl standing." Before walking away.

After the pep-talk in Hinata's hotel room, it was hard to dislike her. Hinata, like many others, found pleasure and mild amusement from Sakura's teasing of Sasuke. She commended her actions and advocated Sakura to do more.

She was sweet girl. Rich, fabulous, mannered, and perfect for Naruto.

Sakura sighed and took Itachi's hand. "I'd love to dance with you."

* * *

**I'm sorry if there's mistakes, I didn't reallllllly edit it ;-;**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I will not be updating A Girl? Not in this Anime (Free!ES) this week. Simply bc after I updated this, it received overwhelmingly more views in a single chapter than all 7 chapters of my Free! story LOL. Obviously, the Naruto fanbase is much stronger than a swimming anime's so, I'll be focusing more here.**

Sakura took the hand willingly and was guided to the middle of the dancefloor. Deciding to put her worries of Naruto away, she sighed into Itachi's touch and let him take complete control over the next few minutes. Noticing this, he kept a firm grasp of her hand in one and a comforting hold on the small of her back in the other.

The song that was playing was one that Sakura recognized as romantic and she blushed once she realized that no one else was on the dance floor but them. All eyes were on the couple.

"Itachi, they're all watching." She whispered beneath him, her height falling far below his shoulder.

"Don't worry about them. It's just us right now." He comforted, guiding her along.

Shikamaru and Neji were egging the two on, complimenting how well the two looked together. Ino and Tenten joyfully agreed, Tenten certainly approved of him since he was her knight and shining armor before. Ino, however, took it in a different direction and added how beautiful their children would be. Naruto's hand made a fist beneath the table at this comment, which Hinata took a silent note of. She gazed at the only other woman that elicited a response from Naruto. Meanwhile, Sasuke averted his eyes.

_Of course _his brother liked Sakura, Sasuke thought, not appreciating the irony. Sakura was in his home, whisked away by his secretly flirtatious brother. Sasuke inwardly seethed, many of Konoha High found his brother attractive. Sakura showed only clear disdain for Sasuke, he only hoped that she would not develop romantic feelings for his brother.

It seemed all eyes really were on them and Sasuke had to restrain himself from commanding all the male people in the room to stop looking at her. She was absolutely stunning. But she was supposed to be like this for him and only him.

With a twirl, Sakura fell back into Itachi's arms. Instead of the usual smirk, he gave a small smile that made the girl weak in the knees. Her thought spread to her cheeks, the color being as red as wine. Itachi's smile morphed back into a smirk and the hand on her back started to rub teasingly. Seeing this, Sasuke stormed out of the ballroom and onto the deck.

Sitting on a pool chair, Sasuke held his head in his hands, wondering where it all went wrong. He should have stopped her from leaving the pool area earlier. He should have asked her to be _his _date, instead of his brother's. He should have invited her to dance together first, letting everyone else watch them two of them instead of the situation now.

In a fit of anger, Sasuke got up and kicked the chair across the pool area. He settled down on a different one and continued his irritating thought process. That was, until he was angered again and found the need for a violent outlet. Sasuke kicked the chair, however in the process got his foot stuck and fell into the pool.

Gasping for air, he made a large ruckus for someone to hear.

Sakura gazed at the beautiful dance of Naruto and Hinata. The woman saw Sakura starting intently, causing Sakura to avert her eyes in an attempt not to be seen. Hinata turned the dance around, hoping instead that Naruto would see the now sad pink-haired girl. Itachi saw this display and put a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulders.

"Him?"

Knowing she was found out, Sakura replied, "A little, nothing serious."

"Maybe I can help." Itachi suggested, gaining her attention through surprised eyes. Naruto, observing silently at the two's interactions, felt anger in his veins and was half-tempted to walk stalk there.

That was until a startled Shisui threw the double-doors open and yelled, "Does anyone know CPR?! It's Sasuke-chan!"

Soon, everyone was bounding out of the ballroom, an Itachi dragging Sakura along with him. "What's happening?" She asked.

"Sasuke is afraid of water." **(A/N: I know this isn't realistic but it's so crucial to boys over flowers xD)**

Shisui fell to his knees next to Sasuke and the crowd around them was blocking her point of view. Sakura had to shake off Itachi's hand, giving him a reassuring smile first, and pushed through the rest of the crowd.

Dropping next to Shisui, Sakura pushed down on Sasuke's chest about thirty times before taking a deep breathe. "You better not die you idiot, I was just starting to like you."

Not hesitating, she blew into Sasuke's mouth. However, this was nothing like the reaction her medical books told her about. She was supposed to feel like the air was filling him, but she could feel his warm breathe fanning back at her. Instead, his mouth started to move against hers.

Surprised, Sakura attempted to pull back, but he held onto her waist. Before she could yell at Kami-sama, his tongue was in her mouth and she could not pull away.

It was her last savior, Itachi, that ended up saving her again. He pulled her back so she can hover above Sasuke, Itachi added, "You are an idiot, Sasuke."

Sakura, feeling slightly violated, punched the duck-haired man right in the face and proceeded to help herself up. Ino was dying of laughter while Tenten looked just as mortified as Sakura. The two girls led their friend back to their room. Itachi and Shisui retreated back to the ballroom, the latter laughing at how far Sasuke was willing to go.

Shikamaru held out an open hand for Sasuke to take, commenting, "Really, dude? So troublesome."

Neji clapped him on the back once he was standing, "At least you were her first kiss."

Sasuke gave a small smile, "It definitely won't be the last."

The rest of the cruise had Sakura avoiding the F4 and Itachi. Whenever she was in their presence, something terrible was bound to happen! The next morning, she retreated to the pool early before anyone else would. Sakura could not resist the prospects of swimming, even if that included being assaulted by one of the Uchiha's. Taking her chances, Sakura watched orange break the horizon as she started stripping down to her bathing suit. It would be a pleasant morning alone in the water.

Or at least that was what she thought. Once Sakura jumped into the pool, a familiar person voiced their thoughts, "You must really love the water," Shisui commented from his spot sitting next to the pool, his body previously covered by a large decorative plant.

"It's a place of solace." Sakura replied while leisurely floating around.

"You are truly strange."

"Why do you say that?"

Shisui gave an all-too-familiar smirk, _that is definitely genetic_, Sakura thought. He said, "Don't tell me you don't know of all the guys interested in you."

Sakura felt a growing blush and covered her cheeks, "That's a very flattering notion you have there, but I assure you I am nor interesting nor pretty enough for one to care about."

Shisui sat-up and looked her right in the eyes, "I think you're lying."

"What?"

"Who is it that you really like?"

"No one!"

"No way." Shisui looked up in amusement and disbelief, "You have the two Uchiha prodigies clamoring after you and you're not interested at all."

"Not at all." Sakura emphasized every syllable.

Shisui paused before asking, "You like Sasuke-chan, don't you?"

"What?!" It was Sakura's turn to be unbelieving.

"Why else were you so eager to kiss him?"

Sakura's face contorted in the exact look of anger and incredulity, "You mean CPR? I thought he was going to die!"

Shisui pursued his lips in thought and nodded in concession, "Fine. But don't look at me when you guys get married." He added before getting up to walk away.

Sakura gasped in horror before swimming away, trying not to think about his accusations. But was it true? Why was the universe pushing them together so much?! _Ugggggh, I just want to be a medic-nin. Boys be crazy._

Speaking of the devil, Sasuke was already wandering around this early in the morning. Something about last night definitely made his entire weekend and he could not help but admire the beautiful sunrise. Sakura attempted to escape his view by diving further into the water and clinging to the wall.

Sasuke, however, knew she would be here and waited for her to resurface.

"Hello, monkey." He greeted. Sakura only narrowed her eyes and climbed out of the pool. He quickly sauntered over to her and wrapped a towel for her to warm up. He massaged his arms over her shoulders, hoping to get her dry.

"I can do this myself." Sakura attempted to brush off his hands, but he simply ignored her and continued wrapping the towel more firmly like a burrito. "Why are you being nice to me?" Sakura asked.

"Because you are mine." Sasuke explained.

"What?!" He leaned his forehead against hers and quickly withdrew before she could recognize what happened.

"Stay safe. Don't get hurt, idiot." He decided to add an insult, he did not want to look like he was getting soft. With this comment and a small flick on her forehead, Sasuke walked away.

Unable to understand what was happening, Sakura dropped the towel around her and looked to the skies. "What the hell is happening?!"

Thankfully, the rest of the yacht trip went without a hitch. Sakura was finally able to spend time with her friends, Sasuke only occasionally coming over to offer a friendly _good night_ at her door, seemingly waiting for her. Sakura thought his efforts were obvious and sweet, but he was still a giant jerk to her sometimes. For example, did he still find it necessary to insult her?

Naruto, for some reason, she never saw the rest of the trip. Itachi made his presence known, but he never approached her without being greeted first.

Sakura could actually chalk up this trip as relaxing and thanked the heavens for such a great friend like Ino. Said woman, however, was relentless in her teasing and absolutely loved all the attention the pink-haired girl was receiving. Tenten was ever the traitor, standing alongside Ino and mocking Sakura's predicament.

Sakura was not amused and returned to school feeling relaxed, but somewhat empty. Her closest friend in the F4 was consistently missing. Her usual place of comfort at school was the pool, but a visit earlier showed that a certain _idiot_ filled it with swans. Not wanting to even attempt to shoo them out, Sakura immediately high-tailed out of there and changed back into her regular clothes.

Knowing exactly where Naruto would be before school started, Sakura retreated to the gardens. There Naruto was, meditating and practicing his tai-chi in the cold, drizzling, daylight.

"Hey there." She greeted, but the blonde opened one eye and then immediately shut it closed. This was obviously not an invitation to join him, but quite the opposite. Sakura originally had the intention of amending whatever happened between them, but it was clear the wounds were still deep. Taking out an umbrella, she placed it to hang-over him before walking away.

Naruto looked at the offending object before knocking it away.

The rest of the day was still empty, not facing the wrath of Sasuke or the happy atmosphere of Naruto. Ino even picked up on her gloominess. "Missing a certain someone?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

Sakura shook her head and replied, "Nope, nope, nah."

Tenten remained unconvinced and stated, "You know I heard Sasuke wanted to visit the pool sometime soon."

"Why? So he can pretend drown again?" Sakura asked, uninterested, "Let him do it for real, I don't care." Tenten amusedly scoffed while Ino was still wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Her backpack and mind were similar in the sense that they were vacant. No homework meant nothing to do meaning she had only things to think about, but the main object of her affections clearly wanted nothing to do with her. It was quite ironic that Naruto was her friend while Sasuke was persecuting her. And now that Sasuke was attempting to flirt with her, the blonde wanted nothing to do with her.

This thought made Sakura unsure. Did she want really want Sasuke's attention?

Unknown to Sakura, said man was listening to the urgings of Karin and Ami. Both girls were showing a video to Sasuke, of Sakura earlier showing compassion to Naruto. The recording was only images and had no sound, so it was up to Sasuke to guess what they were saying. He assumed the worst. That Naruto rejected Sakura's declaration. Outraged, Sasuke smashed the phone. _Of all the girls, _Sasuke thought, _It wasn't Itachi. She wanted Naruto all along. One of my very friends._

His heart was not broken or pained. It was surging with unbelievable anger and disbelief.

Not too far away, a fed-up Sakura ran to the gardens again to see her friend. Hoping to demand answers from Naruto for such a quick change in attitude. Instead, she was met with an empty garden. At least, at the start. Footsteps behind her signaled a presence and she turned to see a certain Uchiha.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Sasuke demanded.

"What are you doing here—"

"Why? Aren't I allowed to be here?" Sasuke did not falter in keeping eye-contact, "Does this space belong to the two of you?"

Unable to respond, Sakura attempted to walk around him. Sasuke immediately grabbed her wrist and forced Sakura to face him. "Where are you going?" He asked.

Sakura was not about to falter under his gaze. She responded saying, "I'm going home. I have nothing to say to you."

"Well I do."

"Let me go." Sakura looked away before requesting.

"How dare you ridicule me?" Confused, Sakura urged him to let her go. He conceded, but continued to keep their close quarters, "I tried to be nice. Do I seem easy? Well you know what. I don't just pay people back. It just doesn't satisfy me."

Sakura's befuddlement only increased when Sasuke grabbed at her collar, hoisting her up to reach his own visage. Once realizing what he was trying to do, Sakura squirmed away from his face.

"Don't! Stop!" She yelled, fear and absolute dread evident in her eyes.

Sasuke quickly let go, if anything he shoved her away. The expression that Sakura gave, simply because he wanted to express his dominance, broke his heart. He simply wanted her to return his feelings. It was known that bantering could be a form of flirting. And Sakura definitely engaged in this with Sasuke. But it seemed that her intentions weren't a mischievous teasing. That look on her face was not affection. It was fear.

Looking away to shield himself from his broken expression, Sasuke wavered before asking, "You hate me that much?"

Sakura was unable to answer and only held herself with crossed arms, crying.

**Xxxxxxxx**

To: Sakura

From: Ino

Where the hell have you been?

To: Sakura

From: Tenten

We're coming right now ): you better explain yo self.

Sakura missed two entire days of school, unwilling to show hide nor hair at a place where she was a constant target. She snuggled into the comforts of her bed, shielding her eyes from the sunlight. That was until it was pulled away and revealed her two best friends.

"Alright forehead you have two seconds before I shove you out of that bed."

Sitting up, Sakura yelled/asked, "How the hell did you guys get into my house?!"

"Come on, your parents love me." Ino explained, flipping her hair.

"What about school?"

"Have you left your house recently? It's a holiday." Tenten stated matter-oh-factly. "We're worried about you, Sakura." Tenten sat onto the bed and rubbed her leg, "What happened?"

"Sasuke, that idiot."

"What did he do? Steal your heart?" Ino teased.

Sakura hesitated before trusting in her friends, "He tried to force me into kissing him."

Ino immediately turned serious and whipped out snacks from her backpack, "I knew this was a code red. We are here for you. Do you need me to kick his ass?" She offered, plopping down onto the bed next to her friend.

"That's not the worse part." Sakura brought the blanket to her chin.

"OH my kami do not tell me you guys…" Ino drew out.

"No!" Sakura instantly shut down what she was implying, "The worst part is that, maybe. Just maybe, I wanted to kiss him back."

"What?!" It was Tenten's turn to question. "We joke around a lot, but are you seriously considering Sasuke?"

"If only he wasn't such an ass to me…"

The three gossiped throughout the morning, mostly the two teasing their pink-haired friend about her newfound feelings. Sakura was still unsure about her feelings. Sure, Naruto was always nice to her, but what if he was only doing that because he felt bad. Now, he had no reason to make her acquaintance. And it certainly seemed like he wanted nothing to do with her.

And Sasuke, he was never the one to immediately gain your attention. Sure, he commanded an entire room, but that was out of fear. Sure, he still bullied her, but what about all that flirting, or whatever he was trying to do?

Sakura kept pondering these thoughts out loud to her friends. That was until there was a knock at the door.

"For Sakura-san, from Hinata-senpai." The man in the suit offered, before walking away.

Ino took the package and brought it back to the room. "Damn girl, does Hinata like you too?" Ino asked once back in.

"What are you talking about?"

"She also invited you to her birthday!" Ino explained, handing her the letter and nosily opening the large package that came with it. "And she sent a dress along with it!" Tenten eyed the contents enviously.

"Why?" Sakura asked incredulously, "I met her once, when those girls dressed me up in a costume."

"Looks like Hinata liked what she saw when you were changing." Ino teased, it seemed she continually had jokes about pairing Sakura with every person she knew.

"It's tonight." Tenten remarked, reading the invitation.

"Well, we have to get you ready, silly." Ino offered.

"Wow, she must really want you at this party." Tenten noted, a distant look in her eyes.

"So popular already, huh forehead girl?" Ino teased.

Tenten held the box containing the dress in her hands, examining how beautiful and expensive the contents were. She hesitated, getting off the bed and grabbing her bag, "I forgot I have something to do for my parents. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Sakura called out to the brunette, unsure of her sudden departure. Ino was faster and grabbed Tenten's wrist. "Are you sure?" Taking a final look around the room, Tenten nodded her head before twisting her hand around and quickly running out of the apartment.

"What the hell was that?" Sakura asked the blonde.

"I don't know, forehead." Ino was gazing at the door. "She'll come to us when she wants to." Sakura nodded in agreement before taking out her phone, texting a brief message to Tenten.

Ino continued, "Well, let's bring this dress and go to my house. I have to get ready too, so we can do it together."

Sakura paused before getting out of bed. She deliberated adding a comment, but decided for it, "Are you sure you won't fall for me also?" She winked.

**Xxxxxxxx**

"Look at you, Yamanaka." Shikamaru noted, eyeing the blonde up and down.

"Nara." Ino greeted before looking away. _What the hell did I ever see in him? He's such a lazy ass._ Shikamaru, ever the genius, was able to guess her thought process and smirked. She was so easy to read.

"You here alone?" Shikamaru asked. The two were standing around a table, joined by Neji and Sasuke. Several women were trying to gain their attention, but the two men were ignoring their surroundings.

"No, Sakura is checking her coat."

"And you left her?" Neji asked.

"I wanted her to make a grand appearance," Ino reasoned, "If we came in together I would only be taking away from her and her beautiful dress."

Sasuke was actually worried, did this blonde seriously abandon Sakura? He knew of the Ino's background and his anxiousness only increased, thinking that she exacted revenge on the object of his affections. He tried to deny his feelings for her and her emerald eyes, but it seemed that Sakura would not leave his mind. She made her feelings clear, but Sasuke decided that a simple rejection was not enough to keep him away. Several minutes rolled by, and Sasuke's concern was evident on his outward appearance. What if Ino left her out in the street?

However, his worries were quickly mollified by the entrance of Sakura.

She did exactly that, have a grand appearance with a dress that Sasuke was sure that Sakura could not have possibly paid for herself. He inwardly noted how genuine Ino seemed to be, since she seemed to have paid for both the yatcht trip and the dress before him.

Ino motioned for the pink-haired girl to join them, but their short friend was having problems gazing around the room for them. Neji, in an effort to ward off the women, suddenly exclaimed, "Look my date is finally here." Sasuke watched as another man, again, took Sakura's arm. However, instead of a dance floor it was over to their table.

"Hello, beautiful." Neji greeted, taking Sakura's arm in his and making rounds around them, sort of a warning for those _hoes _to back off for the rest of the night.

**A/N: This feels so rushed. It's all moving so fast ;-; but in the show it moves even faster LMAO! This is chapter 7 and I'm covering what was in episode 3 I think. Yoooooo.**


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura's sunny disposition almost immediately dropped at the sight of Sasuke. "Doesn't Sakura-san look beautiful when she's all dolled up?" Neji complimented.

"She looks nice. Of course, it'll be too troublesome to get ready every day. It's a nice change." Shikamaru added.

"Are you guys joking?" Sasuke interrupted their train of thought, "A leopard cannot change it's spots."

Ino bristled at the insult while Sakura blew at her bangs, there was simply no pleasing the Uchiha prince. It was not like she wanted his approval of anything, but his constant condemnation seemed unnecessary. She did not need a reminder that she was nothing special.

Before Ino could add anything in refute, the crowd around them began to clap at the sight of the Hinata approaching, Naruto in tow with his arm looped around her's. Sakura inwardly noted how natural the two looked together, forcing an exaggerated smile onto her face. Hinata had an elegant smile that adorned her natural air of beauty. Naruto was positively beaming, glad to have the woman he loved on his arm. Sakura silently knew in the back of her head that she was never truly a contender for his feelings, but it was inevitable that she would have to accept her lose.

A beautiful four-tiered cake was placed in front the dark-haired angel, followed by a procession of the birthday song. Sakura mouthed the words along and noted how Naruto gave a small nod to his love before walking away. Smile gone, instead he was slowly going in the other direction. Wait, the party was just getting started, right? 

"Thank you all for coming to my birthday," Hinata started, "Thank you for raising me, mom and dad. And I thank my friends for loving me, despite all my faults. In addition to my words of gratitude, I'd like to share some news with you."

Sakura glanced back at Naruto's retreating figure before making eye-contact with Ino. By her identically worried face, it seemed even the blonde did not know about what was about to transpire.

"I usually don't hold such lavish birthday parties. I'll be going back to Paris next week and I won't be coming back. I've already quit modeling." Hinata took a long breath, before continuing, "Thanks to my parents, I was able to achieve a great deal without working hard at all, but I'd rather start anew where I'm just known for my own self."

Ino gasped aloud, surprised but a respecting glint in her eye. Hinata took note of the astonished atmosphere, but continued with her announcement. "I won't be inheriting my parent's law firm. What I want in life is to share what little I have. I had to hold a big party in order to make you understand. I wish you happiness." Hinata bowed at the end of statement.

Sakura could only wonder if the 'you' in that sentence was directed towards Naruto. He was still missing from the party.

"How troublesome." Shikamaru commented, the first one out of the astonished trance, "She'll be missed around here.

"Very admirable, though." Neji added, "I wonder where Naruto is."

"Now we know why he's been so depressed lately." Sasuke replied.

Sakura opted out of the conversation, simply listening but not listening at all. While petty, she could not help the millisecond spark of hope at the news of Hinata leaving. But since it was at the cost of Naruto's happiness, it made the ladder thought completely irrelevant. There had to be a way for the two lovers to be together. Sakura knew of all the happiness that she could offer to the blonde, but it was nothing compared to what Hinata could offer him. They were simply meant to be.

She excused herself from the conversation, eyes gleaming with tears. Sasuke watched her retreat before silently following.

"You still have this, huh?" Hinata asked her childhood best friend who was currently fingering a homemade bracelet. The rudimentary design clashed with his designer suit, but he still wore it nonetheless.

Naruto simply looked to the side, ignoring her question. She bent down to see eye-to-eye to Naruto, who was sitting on the hotel bed. Discouraged, but not showing it on her face, Hinata continued, "Remember the first summer we were apart?"

"So you do remember that, huh?" Naruto was still looking away as he replied.

"That was the first summer you stopped treating me like a sister."

Without hesitation, Naruto asked, "What was I to you?"

Hinata got up and rubbed her hands onto his shoulders in comforting strides. However, she ignored the question. Instead, she opted to asking, "I guess you're really upset."

Naruto was always quick to anger and this situation was no exception. In a fit, he was able to quickly rip the bracelet off and throw it into a nearby trash bin. He felt absolutely no remorse, this was exactly how she was treating his feelings and she deserved the same. "I feel more than that. I feel abandoned."

"If there's one person I cannot abandon, it's you." Naruto, unable to listen to this anymore, got up off the bed and readied to leave the room entirely. If she wanted to leave everything behind for Paris, he was not one to stop her. But he was one to leave now.

She grabbed onto his shoulder and spoke anyway, "Don't leave."

"Why not? You're a liar." Naruto stated over his shoulder.

"If I was a liar, then I would say that I did not care about you having feelings for Sakura." Hinata quickly retorted. Naruto was stunned, what was she talking about? "Seeing you rush to her side, I felt my own heart sink."

Naruto recalled the earlier situation and shook his head, unbelieving. He made his true feelings abundantly clear, he was simply being nice to his pink-haired friend. From hugging Hinata's posters to his constant longing, how on earth could she be jealous of someone else? "Are you kidding me, you helped her first!" he exclaimed, "I'm not in the mood for your excuses. You get what you want no matter what happens."

"That's not true." Hinata defended.

Naruto ignored her protest, "You always kept me at a distance, far but not enough to let me go. I'm just a toy to you."

"I would cry at night because of you!"

"Why?" Naruto rolled his eyes, "I've been faithful to you for more than fifteen years! I've wanted nothing more than to hold you in my arms as a lover for so long."

Hinata grabbed onto his shoulders, pulling him up into a standing position before whispering next to his ear. "I know." She caressed his shoulder, "And I'm sorry." Taking one last hail-Mary pass, Naruto repeated her actions. Taking her by the shoulders, he took a gentle hold before claiming her lips. She neither protested nor agreed to his actions, simply standing there in his arms as he had his way. Hinata would be lying if she said she did not want this, but would it be worth trying if she was leaving for Paris?

Sakura silently closed the door to the hotel room, minding the couple's privacy. Of course she did just hear the majority of their emotionally-heavy conversation, but she was not one to continue to pry. Slowly walking away, with each step Sakura would thump her head against the wall.

Not more than a minute ago, she had the pure intention of convincing Hinata to stay for Naruto's sake or simply take him with her. But now, seeing the two romantically joined, it hurt her heart more than ever. Closing her eyes, Sakura wished for the ground to swallow her up whole and never return to earth.

"It'll be embarrassing if you fainted right now." Sasuke teased from the other end of the hall.

Sakura sneered at him before responding, "I'm not going to faint." She attempted to silently march over to him, cursing her heels for being so loud. Once by Sasuke's side, the accursed door leading to the hotel room opened.

Arm-in-arm, Naruto was once again smiling and Hinata was matching his expression. Sakura did not have to wonder for long about what the couple was doing. Upon seeing her, Hinata smiled and greeted, "Hello Sakura-san. Why didn't you come in?"

Sakura tripped over her words before spitting out, "It's just that I was on my way to thank you, for the invitation and the dress."

Hinata took note of her response before saying, "I'm sorry about the sudden sadness of the party. We were about to go for a drive," she motioned over to the blonde, "Would you like to join us?"

Sakura noted the scowl on Naruto's face and immediately rejected the notion. The two deserved alone time, once again, she was not one to pry. "No, thank you."

Hinata was about to ask why, but Sasuke was already picking-up on Sakura's displeasure. It was no doubt to him that Sakura and Naruto were rather close the last few days and that the girl would be saddened at seeing the certain truth. He crept a lose arm around the girl's waist, much to her surprise, and stated, "Sorry, but we have somewhere else to go."

"What are you talking about teme?" Naruto was quick to ask.

"Naruto," Hinata admonished, "But, you do?"

"Yes, I'm taking out Sakura for a drive. I would invite the two of you, but we plan on being alone." Sasuke smoothly affirmed.

Naruto looked to her for confirmation, but Sakura only clasped her hands together in feigned excitement. "Yes, I just wanted to say thank you quickly and leave for our drive." Taking a prolonged bow, Sakura offered a farewell, "Hinata, goodbye."

"See you again, you two." Sasuke waved, before clasping a firmed grip on Sakura's waist. She had to hold in cringe and lean into his touch, otherwise the entire situation would be busted. Sasuke was always an ass, but thankfully now he was her savior. "Let's go." He nodded goodbye before slipping his hand in hers, threading their fingers together to intertwine.

Sasuke did not miss the taken aback look from Hinata or the obvious displeasure from Naruto, instead he relished in their reactions. He had been waiting for so long to simply be with Sakura, it seemed that the blonde he had been hating recently granted him his wish.

Once around the corner, Sasuke haughtily whispered into Sakura's ears, "I've paid off my dues."

"What dues?"

"For saving me from the pool."

"I saved your life, this is not enough."

Sasuke turned around, hands still joined, "We can go back now if you want."

Sakura attempted to pull him back and offered, "Ten percent?"

"Fifty." Sasuke lifted an eyebrow.

"Twenty." She whispered back from scurrying away from the situation. Sasuke shook his head before following close behind her, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

Once he caught up to her, he took her hand back in his and for some reason Sakura did not feel the need to pull it away. True to his word, Sasuke led her back to his car and the two were off. Originally, the girl was grateful that her chicken-haired rival was escorting her back home. However, the car took an unfamiliar turn and suddenly Sakura was worried he was truly going to murder her.

A master-list of all the things Sakura had done to offend him suddenly popped into her head. Praying to all the Kami's that could exist, she began to wonder if it would hurt if she tucked-and-rolled out of the car going seventy miles per hour.

Soon enough, the car came to a stop at another luxurious building. "Where are we?"

"Just follow." Sasuke stated as he got out of the car. Sakura was behind him, but he pulled her to his front, guiding her as he pushed her shoulders in his hands.

Once inside, the modernized bar glowed a bright blue while the two walked in silence. "Why aren't there any customers?"

"I kicked them out."

"You did what?" Sakura asked in a monotone voice.

He guided her to a bar stool, basically shoving Sakura onto it before taking the one next to her. "I've rented it until the morning. If you need anything it's all here to offer. If you need to cry or need a punching bag, I can call my bodyguard."

Sakura focused on a glass on the table before replying, "Why would I do that?"

"I thought I saw you have a heart attack when you saw Naruto and Hinata together. "

"No way!" Sakura exclaimed, gasping aloud. Before the feelings started to take root in her words, "I'm no match for someone like HInata. I'm not pretty or smart, and I don't come from a great family.

"Yeah and your personality is really awful."

Sakura found herself snarling yet again at this man, conflicted that he found the need to comfort her but insult her at the same time. "I was ineligible from the start, I'm not worth anything." She conceded.

"It's true that you're nothing much, but you're not nothing. You're eligible."

"Huh?"

"If Naruto met you first, instead of Hinata, there is no doubt that he would have liked you. You're not pretty or smart, but you're the first girl I recognized. So that makes you eligible." Sasuke candidly pronounced, the two sharing a moment of eye contact.

Was this really the same guy who filled her pool with ducks? Sakura asked herself. There was no doubt that Sasuke was handsome, but he was always an ass to her. Or at least, she thought he was an ass. Was all this just to get her attention? No way, this was the leader of the great F4, he could get any girl he wanted without having to make it his life goal to torment her. Not wanting more boy troubles, Sakura smiled at him before looking away.

Sasuke felt his own goofy smile reaching his face, and looked down at the table to mask it. Muttering out, "I need to use the bathroom," he fled for the scene.

Sakura accepted it, gazing at his bodice as he walked away. She smiled in thought, but instantly waved it off. Using the excuse that it was too hot for her to think, Sakura grabbed a nearby cup thinking it was water.

It was not water.

The instant burn was enough of a signal, but Sakura was too emotional to care at the moment.

Sasuke was smiling to himself in the bathroom mirror, happy that the object of his affections was beginning to reciprocate them. Taking one last look, he left to return to the pink-haired girl.

One look at her was enough for him to recognize she was flat-out drunk, "Are you kidding me?"

Sakura was running on empty since she left her home, bolting from the party so abruptly before getting any sustenance. In between her drunken bouts, she stated, "You said I wasn't pretty or smart. Well you're right. You didn't really have to point that out to me. I already know it all, you dork."

Sasuke smiled at the insulting name, not interrupting and letting the woman continue in the tirade, "I don't have any time for this. I happen to be a very busy person. I have to attend a school that I was forced to join. I work a part-time job because of my trouble-making dad. In addition, I have to keep up my swimming for my scholarship. I don't have time to get involved in your love affairs."

In an effort to comfort Sakura, he placed a hand on her shoulder, but knew there was no way she would remember this later. He was appreciative of her candor, even if she was drunk. Sakura slammed her forehead against the table, before getting up and laughing at his confused face.

"I'm so sad." She said ironically with a smile, "Sasuke, you're so awful! You're this spoiled brat who loves to torment me, but somehow I look forward to seeing you once in a while." She admitted, causing Sasuke's goofy smile to return. Feeling brave, Sakura slapped a gentle hand against his face repeatedly.

"I don't know why, but I'll go easy on you. I'll cut your debt in half." She stated, motioning her hand in karate chops like she was cutting in the air. She made one final chop on his shoulder, an amused mirth in her eyes before it took a more serious tone. The hand suddenly found itself by his ear, stroking the area with the light touch of her fingertips.

"Thank you for saving me today." Sasuke was took stunned to answer, his crush was taking too many sudden turns in demeanor, he could only keep an amusedly confused face on. "There's nothing I can do in return for your kindness."

Sasuke's smile only widened at her acceptance, but soon both her hands were on his shoulders and he was entirely _scared._ There were just a handful of times that he could admit to being scared, but this happened to be one of them. They were only coming to terms now, it would be rushing things if she suddenly kissed him. By her forceful pulling, Sakura's actions were not hidden and Sasuke did not want their first kiss to be forgotten by the girl the next morning.

Sakura licked her lips before falling asleep in his lap, Sasuke could only smile at how cute she is.

Until she sat-up and literally threw-up all over his new suit, ruining the moment.

How cute she _was._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The next morning, Sakura awoke to the sun streaming in and the sweet smell of pancakes permeating the air. "Wow, papa. It smells amazing."

"You have a keen nose." Sakura knew that voice anywhere and immediately sat-up to realize that she was sitting in an unfamiliar bed with unfamiliar clothes on.

"What happened? What am I doing here?!" She demanded.

"I brought you back here."

"I'm asking you why I'm at your house, not mine!"

Sasuke put down the newspaper to put a finger to his temple, it was too early in the morning to deal with yelling. Instead of instigating a fight at this ungodly hour, he simply asked, "Don't you remember?"

Sakura shook her head signaling _No, _and Sasuke motioned for one of his servants to come in with the suit he wore last night. The servant explained, "This is from the world-class fashion designer, Toshiguchi Kenzi of Emeraldo, released as part of the spring/summer collection. It flew in from Milan two days ago."

"I'm not in the mood to hear about your clothes!"

"I wore it last night."

"And why would I give a damn?!" The vein in Sakura's forehead was protruding in anger, Sasuke was mildly amused at how easy it was to get her riled.

"It was my first and last time wearing it, thanks to someone."

Moments from last night seemed to flash before Sakura's eyes and it was signaled by her suddenly sighing and cuddling her head in her arms. She hit on him! The very same man that she thought was going to murder her!

She _flirted_ with Sasuke.

She flirted with _Sasuke_.

Sakura had to bite her lip to hold in a scream. This was unbelievable. And worst of all, that man in question was right in front of her and there was no way for her to escape. She awoke from her sleep to yell at her savior, Sakura thought with a groan. Why did it have to be her rival, of all people?

"Did you expect me to have brought you home in that condition?"

Sakura kept her head down and muttered a, "Sorry."

"I notified your parents, they didn't seem too worried about you."

_Typical, _Sakura thought before saying, "Sorry for the inconvenience. I must be going now."

Before Sasuke could tease the pink-haired woman, the headservant approached him and interrupted saying, "Your father…"

Sasuke sat-up at those words and spit-out, "What about Lucifer?"

"He's arrived." The fear was evident on Sasuke's face. He quickly threw the newspaper down and stood-up at the news, she was a few hours early.

"How did he get here so fast?" He questioned, but it did not matter at his point. The devil was soon to knock on his door, the only thing he had to do now was hide Sakura from his clutches. Taking out his phone, Sasuke called up his friends for backup. He was a terrible liar in the face of his father, his friends would add other fodder for his father to target.

Neji was the most understanding and left for the Uchiha manor at the mention of Fugaku's name. Shikamaru was hesitant, he knew of the effects of Sasuke's father and did not want to be laid waste at his constant disapproval. But, they were all best friends, and if one of them suffered they all suffered.

"What the hell is Sakura doing at your house, teme?" Naruto asked.

"Our evening drive ran a little long." Sasuke teased.

There was a slight pause before Naruto was growling, "You better not be implying what I think you are."

"Why? My feelings for Sakura are clear, it was only a matter of time."

"You bastard!"

"Why do you care?"

Naruto did not answer the question, but simply muttered that he'll be there in few. "She better not be hurt when I get there."

"Maybe just a little sore."

"I'm going to kill you!" Sasuke had enough of this conversation and simply hung-up the phone. With a smirk, he returned to the guest bedroom where Sakura was pacing around. This time around, Itachi was sitting on the bed as well, deep in thought.

"I've already compromised a story for Sakura to follow, however it is entirely up to her if father sees through it or not." Itachi stated.

"What's with the smirk?" Sakura questioned, Sasuke simply waved it off.

Getting up, Itachi put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, "We should leave now for her to change into more appropriate attire."

Feeling one last bout of arrogance, Sasuke turned to the woman and asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

Sasuke immediately got a pillow to the face.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: Chapter 8 and I'm still on episode 3 of BOF. LOL. I regret this so much this series is so long pls kill me.**


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